RickSigler wrote:I'm based at KABQ which is 5300' and we have several 10000' peaks in the area.

I'm based in ABQ area too (at E98) and I never noticed any problems getting to the border of oxygen on just the naturally-aspirated Rotax 912 engine. You can only use the 914 turbo if you also have oxygen onboard, and both cut into useful load in LSAs. In other words, a turbo is only worth anything in a heavier airplane that's designed to go into teens, IMHO. (obviously more power also gives you a better climb rate, which can be useful)

I don't have anywhere near your overall experience, but I have experience struggling with weight limits in LSAs. One time me and my wife went shopping from Albuquerque to Denver and we even discarded bags into which the purchases were put in the store.

On the other hand, I know that some people do not give a flip, because they themselves are very small. There's a lady based at SAF, Bonnie Mauldin, who flies a CTLS with every gadget known to man. That thing has the useful load below 500 lbs IIRC.

zaitcev wrote:I don't have anywhere near your overall experience, but I have experience struggling with weight limits in LSAs. One time me and my wife went shopping from Albuquerque to Denver and we even discarded bags into which the purchases were put in the store.

On the other hand, I know that some people do not give a flip, because they themselves are very small. There's a lady based at SAF, Bonnie Mauldin, who flies a CTLS with every gadget known to man. That thing has the useful load below 500 lbs IIRC.

Weight is always going to be a problem in any LSA. My CTSW is one of the lighter ones around with a useful load of 575lb, and I still have to make choices about what to carry. If I load myself and my wife with full fuel, we are right at 1320lb. The two of us and 20 gallons gives us 84lb of bags, and us plus 24 gallons (most common configuration) gives us 50lb of bags, which is sufficient for anything except camping. When I'm solo I can take full fuel and about as much gear as will fit in the airplane (up to 180lb).

But even pilots that weigh 100lb can have issues when the useful load load is 500lb or less. Fuel fuel, a passenger and/or bags can hit that number quickly. It's just the way it is with a 1320lb hard limit enforced by the FAA. It would be very nice if the LSA definition was changed to 1500lb or less, but that is not likely any time soon.

ZAITCEV - Bonnie was my primary flight instructor and I've talked to her about her LSA. She's based at Moriarty. I want the climb rate and also to be able to cruise easily at 12,500. Some of the instrument approaches into Santa Fe require an altitude of at least 11,000.

Mr. Morden - I'm not really worried about the weight limit. I'm 125 LBS and my safety pilot is about 170 LBS. In addition, I've been told that the identical models of the planes are flying in Europe with a weight limit of 1,700 LBS and so the FAA is the problem, not safety.

The LSA weight limit in the US is 1320 pounds. It has nothing to do with the FAA and it has nothing to do with what someone else is doing in some other country. If you don't want to be limited by the LSA specificaions, don't buy an LSA.

Do you know the weight of the Bristell configured for IFR or even VFR and well equipped? I know Bristell claims significantly lower weight than comparably built LSAs. I ask because similar metal aircraft e.g. Evektor Harmony fully equipped including ballistic chute weigh about 830 lbs unloaded. For my wife and I, neither large people, this just allows full tanks and a bikini for luggage without violating 1320 lbs. Is the total weight of the Bristell significantly lower? Same question for Sting S4 owners with a glass panel and ADSB in and out. I don't really care if it's safe and performs well a few lbs over gross.

Sting S4 I have with BRS/TrueTrak Efis/Garmin 796/GDL 39/Garmin Transponder/Radio + backup 6 pack, comes at 847 lbs according to WB I got when I bought it 2 months ago - need to weight it myself to make sure this is indeed correct cause it seems quite heavy for a carbon fiber plane with 912 ULS and a basic glass panel.

TimTaylor wrote:Moot point. He was also blaming it on the FAA. It's the consensus limits developed by the ASTM Technical Committee. And thanks, I can read what he posted.

Apparently you can't read what I wrote. I didn't "blame" anybody. I said the rule is enforced by the FAA. Do you argue with that statement?!?

The limit is in the FARs, so it's not simply an ASTM limit. The FAR was written after consultation with various parties, including manufacturers and the EAA. The FARs were not written to the ASTM standard, the ASTM standard, at least the weight limitation portion, was developed around the proposed LSA rule that later made it into the FARs.

These are just facts, I'm not attack anybody over it. Stop acting like I'm pissing in your cornflakes every time I mention the FAA. It's tiresome.

JAM_MAN wrote:Do you know the weight of the Bristell configured for IFR or even VFR and well equipped? I know Bristell claims significantly lower weight than comparably built LSAs. I ask because similar metal aircraft e.g. Evektor Harmony fully equipped including ballistic chute weigh about 830 lbs unloaded. For my wife and I, neither large people, this just allows full tanks and a bikini for luggage without violating 1320 lbs. Is the total weight of the Bristell significantly lower? Same question for Sting S4 owners with a glass panel and ADSB in and out. I don't really care if it's safe and performs well a few lbs over gross.

Best option is to ask for the W&B sheet of an aircraft that you are interested in equipped the way you want it. Every aircraft will almost always weigh a little bit different. Also the chute if so equipped is like 30lbs IIRC.